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Vertical Rewind: Coast-to-Coast… In that?
Fifteen hours, eight minutes, and 2,213 miles: The remarkable story of the longest unrefueled helicopter flight. By Don Porter | January 21, 2015
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The U.S. Army Hughes OH-6A light observation helicopter. Don Porter Collection Photo
Imagine being alone in a light helicopter, making an overweight takeoff in the afternoon in California, flying nonstop through the evening and night without letting go of the controls, and landing on a beach in Florida the next morning. This dramatic flight took place April 6 to 7, 1966 and was one of 23 world records a prototype Hughes OH-6A set that month. The Aircraft Division of Hughes Tool Company sponsored the attempt, which aimed to beat the nonstop distance record held by a Sikorsky SH-3A, a helicopter about 10 times heavier than the U.S. Army OH-6A, the progenitor of today’s MD 500.